It is routinely necessary for an infant caregiver to hold, or cradle, an infant with the caregiver's arms and body and to gently, but securely, hold the infant. During this cradling, the infant's head and neck typically rest over and against the caregiver's shoulder while the infant's torso rests against the caregiver's chest. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an infant being cradled by an infant caregiver. Cradling and gentle rocking of an infant are commonly undertaken by the caregiver to assist the infant with food digestion after feeding. And, gentle cradling of the infant by the caregiver may calm the infant and help the infant with sleep.
In order to cradle the infant in a manner most comfortable for the infant, it is important that the infant's body be protected from contact with hard objects that may be worn by the caregiver. Also for the infant's comfort, it is desirable that the infant rest against a soft, cushioned surface when being held by the caregiver.
From the caregiver's perspective, it is important that the caregiver is both comfortable while cradling the infant and that the caregiver is protected from contact with any undigested food, bile or other material that might be discharged from the infant's mouth, particularly after feeding. For example, the caregiver will typically cradle the infant after feeding to assist the infant with food digestion. The caregiver will attempt to gently rock the infant and pat the infant's back in an effort to “burp” the infant to release digestive gasses from the infant's stomach. The process of burping the infant can result in discharge of food, bile and other material from the infant's mouth and onto the caregiver. Such discharged material can undesirably soil the caregiver's clothing and can come into contact with the infant thereby making the infant uncomfortable and requiring that the infant be washed.
While various garments and cloths exist to assist the caregiver in cradling an infant, such garments and cloths may not be as effective as possible in both providing comfort for the infant and caregiver and in protecting the caregiver from contact with materials that might be discharged from the infant's mouth. Moreover, such garments in particular may be perceived by men as maternity-type products more suitable for use by women. And, women may perceive such maternity-type garments as unfashionable.
It would be an advance in the art to provide an infant caregiver protective garment which would improve the comfort of an infant cradled by the caregiver, which would be comfortable to wear by the caregiver, which would protect the caregiver from contact with materials that might be discharged by the infant and which would be perceived by the caregiver and others as an attractive and fashionable garment.